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 · object · land · deal · last · fall · lie · cap

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. last — to go on
  3. land — to come down
  4. fall — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — finally
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — ground
  11. march — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — of ice
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — final
  23. object — to protest
  24. deal — a big deal

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