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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — a coil
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — finally
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — a position
  18. last — final
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — the season
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cold — an illness

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