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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a ring
  15. kid — child
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. current — of water
  24. branch — a division

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