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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. prune — the fruit

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