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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kid — to tease
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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