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: toast · march · tear · ruler · last · racket · chest · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. last — finally
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — final
  10. march — music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. toast — bread
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — to go on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pop — soda

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