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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — for digging

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