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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bat — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a ring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. craft — a skill
  13. band — a music group
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. toast — bread

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