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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. drill — army training
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — for a lock
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  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