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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. face — to confront
  19. land — ground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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