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: chip · patient · craft · game · march · calf · object · shower

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — to eat
  16. object — to protest
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. shower — rain
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — for betting

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