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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. sharp — clever
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — ground
  18. cell — in biology
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — goods
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. land — to come down

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