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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. land — ground
  8. rash — a series
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — to get on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — to come down

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