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: nail · march · last · pop · rash · suit · band · root

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — final
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — the cause
  6. pop — soda
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a word
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pop — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. march — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — hasty
  23. march — the month
  24. last — to go on

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