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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mine — for digging
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. shower — to wash

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