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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — in music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — happening now
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — electric
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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