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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. net — after costs
  18. mine — for digging
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — for measuring

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