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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fine — all right
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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