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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — boats
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rock — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — child
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — a flat piece

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