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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — help
  16. pop — music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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