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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — of water
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — an explosive

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