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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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