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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. key — for a lock
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — a series
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — after costs
  23. key — the most important part
  24. firm — a company

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