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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — money
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — for betting
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — boats
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. sharp — clever

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