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: hide · craft · capital · stand · bear · chest · march · bass

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. march — the month
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. march — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — the month
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — on your feet

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