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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — the animal

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