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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rest — a break
  8. kid — child
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. kid — to tease
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — a quarrel

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