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: mouse · craft · march · lie · field · chip · bore · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. field — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chip — to eat
  18. craft — boats
  19. field — farmland
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — a subject
  24. mate — to breed

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