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 · sharp · staff · stick · object · ruler · content · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — happy
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — a thing
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. staff — a stick
  16. toast — bread
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — a monarch

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