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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. cue — a hint
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. degree — temperature
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — there
  24. craft — a skill

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