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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. march — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. clip — a video
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rule — government
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — a law
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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