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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a ring
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fork — in a road
  17. march — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — a country

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