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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — the season
  4. club — a group
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for golf
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. snap — to click
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. present — there
  23. lie — to recline
  24. present — the time now

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