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: game · march · wind · dip · bass · craft · temple · cap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — the fish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — of ice
  6. march — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a match
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — a lid

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