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 · vault · pass · present · land · wound · sharp · scale

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pass — a permit
  11. land — ground
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. present — there

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