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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. march — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — a path
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — a song
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — to keep track

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