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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — boats
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. plane — a tool

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