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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. march — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cold — not warm
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. track — a path
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. track — a song

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