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

Word bank: lie · craft · snap · current · pop · row · march · ruler

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a line
  17. pop — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — electric
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — of water

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