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: date · racket · march · lie · fan · spell · object · mine

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — to protest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — the month
  16. object — an aim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — to recline
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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