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: track · face · march · net · cell · mug · tear · calf

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — to keep track
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — in sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. track — a path
  13. tear — from crying
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. net — after costs
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — for catching

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