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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — a coil
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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