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: craft · arm · coach · saw · degree · face · ball · pitcher

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — boats
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — a skill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. degree — from a university
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. face — to confront

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