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: cabinet · fork · march · track · content · pit · rest · band

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. march — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — a hole
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fork — in a road
  16. content — the amount
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a ring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. march — the month
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. content — videos and posts

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