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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — boats
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — a skill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — the underground
  23. field — farmland
  24. object — an aim

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