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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. court — of law
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. court — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. file — a tool
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cell — in biology

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