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 120 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 help me carry this box?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — lets stay

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