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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — size or range
  5. craft — a skill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kid — to tease
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. band — a music group
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kid — child
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a hole

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