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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — after costs
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. craft — boats
  14. net — in sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a music group
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bark — to shout
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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