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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · leaves · bowl · band · date · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. date — the fruit

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