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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. craft — boats
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. file — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — music
  20. file — a document
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a line of people

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