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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — to crush
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. chip — to eat
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — to be able to

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