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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — electric
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. craft — a skill
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. degree — an amount
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — from a university
  19. craft — boats
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — a permit
  23. scale — in music
  24. arm — part of the body

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