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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — child

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