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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — a list
  6. cue — for pool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. march — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — a price
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — a hint
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. last — final
  21. march — the month
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — a gift

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