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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bound — obliged
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — to rip
  7. court — of a king
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — to fit
  10. court — for sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the fish
  15. court — of law
  16. face — to confront
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. bound — certain

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