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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — to cut
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. march — music
  6. rock — music
  7. march — the month
  8. club — a group
  9. court — of a king
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. clip — a video
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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