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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — certain
  23. march — the month
  24. bound — tied together

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