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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — government
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — magic
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bass — the instrument

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