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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wind — moving air
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. key — in music
  17. land — a country
  18. wind — moving air
  19. land — to come down
  20. wake — a trail
  21. object — to protest
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. object — a thing

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