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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — from crying
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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