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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bat — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — soda
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — a hole
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — boats
  24. bat — for baseball

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