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 120 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: pitcher · march · stand · rock · season · degree · row · suit

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — from a university
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. degree — temperature
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — in sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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