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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — of law
  5. march — the month
  6. object — to protest
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of a king
  11. march — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. season — in sport
  24. bass — the fish

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