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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bat — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — a container
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bear — the animal

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