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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spring — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for golf
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — to visit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — the season
  19. craft — a skill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. craft — boats
  22. staff — employees
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spring — a coil

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