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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cap — of ice
  5. march — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rash — a series
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — a lid
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — army training
  24. leaves — of a tree

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