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 · rock · craft · snap · field · march · band · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — a grade
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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