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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spring — a coil
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — in sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. track — to keep track
  12. perch — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — completely
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — a song
  20. firm — steady
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spring — of water
  23. firm — a company
  24. perch — for a bird

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