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: wind · fall · march · last · can · mate · toast · key

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. last — finally
  6. fall — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — bread
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — final
  24. toast — the most admired

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