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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — boats
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — in a road
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — in a race
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — to turn a key

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