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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — rain
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — temperature
  22. craft — boats
  23. degree — from a university
  24. shower — to wash

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