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: snap · kid · sharp · pass · craft · march · cue · root

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — boats
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cue — for pool
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cue — a signal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. march — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — the cause
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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