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 116 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: march · craft · season · hand · kid · bore · bear · field

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — a subject
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. march — the month
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kid — child
  22. field — farmland
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. march — music

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