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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — a gift
  3. march — music
  4. track — a song
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. present — there
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stock — goods
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. march — the month
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — a path
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — electric

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