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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — a break
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a music group
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. march — music
  24. band — a ring

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