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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — the amount
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — to tire
  8. club — a group
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. club — for golf
  14. craft — boats
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. bore — to drill

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