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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — to rip
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — finally
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rest — a break
  12. swing — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — final
  15. track — a path
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a song
  24. nail — for a hammer

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