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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — a box
  11. bass — the fish
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bass — low music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mate — a friend

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