ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — the month
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bass — the fish
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com