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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — the earth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. craft — a handicraft

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