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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bass — low music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. craft — a skill
  19. row — a line
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — the month

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