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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — child
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. land — ground
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — a series

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