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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. march — the month
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — the month
  21. field — farmland
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — to hurry

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