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: march · lean · wind · mark · row · toast

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — bread
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — a trace

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