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 124 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. craft — boats
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — a skill
  11. game — a match
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — all right
  24. mine — belonging to me

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