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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. craft — boats
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. row — a line
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. last — finally
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — a quarrel

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