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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cell — in biology
  3. kid — child
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — in sport
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fork — in a road
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pop — soda
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. season — of the year

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