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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 — the month
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — a permit
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stock — goods
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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