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: object · hide · date · mark · patient · row · rest · march

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — a line
  15. object — to protest
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. object — a thing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. object — an aim

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