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 120 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 · rule · key · band · cabinet · land · mate · foot

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. march — music
  3. band — a ring
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. foot — a measure
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — ground

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