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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. march — the month
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — to wash
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — rain
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. capital — money
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. capital — a city
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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