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 · squash · craft · march · snap · lie · roll · hand

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — boats
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. march — music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hand — help
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. roll — a list
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a cake
  22. march — the month
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. jam — in traffic

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