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: ground · pound · march · season · cabinet · mark · rash · tear

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rash — a series
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — a position
  24. season — in sport

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