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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a match
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chest — of your body
  9. clip — to cut
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chest — a box
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. key — in music

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