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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — for catching
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. band — a ring
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a skill
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — to move gently

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