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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — in music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. craft — a skill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rock — a stone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a match
  23. wake — a trail
  24. dip — to dunk

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