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: season · march · bass · date · key · perch · wax · fine

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. key — in music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — all right
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bass — low music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — on the calendar

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