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 116 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 · bass · bark · season · lie · fall · key · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — steady
  9. key — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — of the year
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — low music
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. key — the most important part

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