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: jam · deal · march · roll · spring · bear · staff · stand

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — of water
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bear — the animal

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