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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — boats
  4. ground — a position
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. perch — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — money
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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