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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — crushed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — a position
  20. club — for dancing
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bark — of a tree

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