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: craft · sharp · pass · bowl · calf · cell · club · march

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. craft — boats
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pass — to spend time

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