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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — in control
  11. game — a match
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mark — a grade

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