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 · lean · wind · mark · row · toast · ball · game

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a grade
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — a line
  18. lean — thin
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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