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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cell — in biology
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. club — for golf
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — the month
  13. club — a group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. march — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — boats
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rock — to move gently

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