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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. kid — child
  5. cap — a hat
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bass — low music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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