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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. rock — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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