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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cell — a phone
  6. craft — boats
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. present — a gift
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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