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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. track — a path
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. march — the month

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