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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. rule — government
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fan — a supporter

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