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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wind — moving air
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. deal — to handle

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