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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. shower — rain
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — money
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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