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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. toast — bread
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. march — music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. content — the amount
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bass — low music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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