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: jam · arm · chip · rush · ball · rest · spring · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — a break
  5. spring — the season
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ball — a dance
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a round shape

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