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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chest — a box
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — in sport
  24. march — the month

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