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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — letters
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — for sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — a subject
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. field — farmland

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