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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. mouse — the animal

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