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: march · bank · tube · leaves · wound · shower · rash · suit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. march — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rash — a series
  19. suit — in cards
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — of a river

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