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

Word bank: toast · current · mate · cabinet · row · craft · bulb · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. toast — bread
  10. row — a line
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — boats
  15. current — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — electric
  24. bulb — for light

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