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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. file — a tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. cell — in biology
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stem — to come from
  20. current — electric
  21. shower — rain
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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