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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. land — to come down
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bound — certain
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — ground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pop — to visit
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. land — a country
  24. cold — the Cold War

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