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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. craft — boats
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — low music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — to rip
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bass — the instrument

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