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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a great time
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a dance
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — boats
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — in sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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