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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mark — a grade
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mark — a trace
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. toast — bread
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. perch — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. field — farmland
  24. sharp — exactly

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