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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — boats
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mark — a trace
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — a permit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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