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 120 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 · lean · leaves · scale · last · march · track · mark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. season — in sport
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. march — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — a path
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — thin

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