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: suit · cabinet · march · pass · pop · last · land · scale

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. land — a country
  3. last — final
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pass — a permit
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — music
  9. march — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — ground
  19. pop — soda
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — to go on
  22. land — to come down
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — finally

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