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: mark · bay · march · pop · mate · wave · branch · content

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — to breed
  6. march — the month
  7. content — happy
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. mate — a partner
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — to visit
  14. march — the month
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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