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 124 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. content — happy
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. last — final
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — the month
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. last — to go on
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — to bear

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