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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — boats
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — a law
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — government
  24. craft — a skill

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