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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — happy
  8. land — ground
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — a container
  15. land — a country
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — to come down
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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