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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — a grade
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rest — a break
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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