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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. wound — an injury

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