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 · date · suit · perch · mark · degree · rule · court

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — of law
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — government
  19. march — the month
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — the fruit
  24. degree — temperature

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