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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — low music
  5. court — of a king
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kid — to tease
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. band — a ring
  14. mug — a cup
  15. band — a music group
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mug — to rob
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. court — of law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. kid — child

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