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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. last — to go on
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ball — a great time
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — child
  16. drill — a practice
  17. march — the month
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — army training
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — to be able to

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