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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. march — the month
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a path
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — hasty
  14. shower — to wash
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — in music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — a song

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