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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a music group
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a great time
  10. drill — a practice
  11. suit — clothes
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — army training
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a dance
  21. march — music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. sharp — clever
  24. trunk — of a tree

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