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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spring — the season

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