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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · march · rule · lash · fork · patient

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. march — the month
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person

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