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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — a permit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — steady
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — decided
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. craft — a handicraft

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