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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — the fruit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — temperature
  11. squash — the sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. degree — from a university

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