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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — soda
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — boats
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — to visit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fine — all right
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — magic
  21. march — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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