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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. march — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — to fit
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a hole
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — in a race
  19. race — a contest
  20. court — of a king
  21. race — humankind
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. court — for sport

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