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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rash — a series
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bark — to shout
  10. march — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. present — there
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bark — of a tree

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