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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — to drill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — the tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. scale — in music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. degree — temperature
  12. date — the fruit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — boats
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — for digging
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — for weighing

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