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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — a measure
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. capital — a city
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. capital — money
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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