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: bat · mark · march · lie · nail · roll · court · land

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a trace
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — ground
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. march — the month
  15. bat — the animal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. land — to come down
  18. court — for sport
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. court — of law

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