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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — obliged
  14. shower — rain
  15. stock — shares
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. march — music
  24. branch — a division

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