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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. squash — the sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — to fit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — a video
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. clip — to cut
  24. swing — music

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