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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wake — a trail
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. date — the fruit

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