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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. craft — a skill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. shower — rain
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — a tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of law
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — for sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — to paddle
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of a king
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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