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: land · present · march · lie · stem · rule · rush · safe

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — to recline
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — a gift
  8. land — ground
  9. rush — hurry
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. land — a country
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — to come down
  20. rule — a law
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — there
  24. safe — out of danger

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