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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — a permit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. march — music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to click
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. drill — the tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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