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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. prune — to trim
  4. race — humankind
  5. last — to go on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. race — a contest
  8. march — the month
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. last — final
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. last — finally

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