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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — the month
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. field — for sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. march — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — the month

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