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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. band — a ring
  7. craft — boats
  8. band — a music group
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bore — to tire
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. cell — in biology

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