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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fine — all right
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. roll — a list
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bear — to put up with

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