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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. craft — boats
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — a video
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — for paper
  15. craft — a skill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bowl — a football final

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