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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cap — of ice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ground — the earth
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. craft — a skill
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — boats
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — farmland
  24. cap — a lid

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