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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · craft · bass · firm · cap · cabinet · bear · bat

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — low music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — boats
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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