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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — the underground
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spell — letters
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — a short time
  15. net — in sport
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — magic
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. drill — army training
  22. hand — in cards
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — to hit hard

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