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 120 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: craft · last · lie · firm · march · kid · branch · leaves

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a skill
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — decided
  8. last — final
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — boats
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — child
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. last — to go on

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