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: bulb · arm · cold · march · rash · drill · rock · craft

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — a series
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a skill

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