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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — all right
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chair — a leader

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