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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. row — a line
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. march — the month
  21. key — the most important part
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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