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: pitch · leaves · march · last · craft · ground · arm · stock

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. march — the month
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. craft — a skill
  11. march — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. last — final
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. ground — a position

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