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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — to visit
  4. kid — child
  5. march — music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. spell — letters
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pop — soda
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — in biology

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