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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — boats
  10. cap — a lid
  11. land — a country
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — of ice

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