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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — size or range
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a line of people
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. file — a tool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — all right
  21. craft — boats
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — a penalty

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