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 · deal · bass · fall · fork · wind · land · mark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — ground
  14. march — the month
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fall — the season
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — an agreement

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