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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a city
  8. bound — obliged
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — to paddle
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — an amount
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — boats
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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