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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. can — to be able to
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — a division
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — shares
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — obliged
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — a friend

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