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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — child
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. key — the most important part
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. key — in music

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