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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — in control
  11. object — a thing
  12. charge — a price
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — goods
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. object — an aim
  24. ball — a round shape

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