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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — a position
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — certain
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — the earth
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bound — obliged

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