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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pop — music
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — army training
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — a skill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — in control
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — a supporter

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