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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — from a university
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mug — a cup
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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