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: march · ruler · bulb · foot · date · bear · swing · pop

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — in golf
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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