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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pit — in a race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — a container
  8. craft — a skill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — temperature
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. march — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — an amount
  21. craft — boats
  22. march — the month
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — in a tire

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