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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. craft — a skill
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — rain
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a city
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. shower — to wash
  22. content — happy
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. capital — money

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