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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — help
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — the season
  24. file — a document

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