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 · rock · branch · racket · bat · bulb · fork · stand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — boats
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fork — a garden tool

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