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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. drill — the tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pit — a hole
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — in a race
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — boats
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ground — crushed

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