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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. file — a document
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. field — farmland
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. racket — for tennis

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