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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — boats
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — a coil

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