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: net · tube · march · bulb · fan · wound · craft · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — a supporter

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