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: row · pitcher · march · can · craft · club · nail · press

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — a line
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. march — the month
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a skill
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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