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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — clever
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — a trail
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kick — in football
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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