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 116 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. craft — a skill
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — for sport
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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