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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — a box
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. sharp — clever

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