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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — a city
  12. march — the month
  13. capital — money
  14. march — the month
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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