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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. craft — boats
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. craft — a skill
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — finally
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — a country
  21. date — the fruit
  22. land — ground
  23. toast — bread
  24. last — final

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