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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mate — a partner
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. clip — a video
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. clip — to cut
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. march — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wax — to grow

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