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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. march — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. craft — a skill

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