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: craft · wind · bulb · drill · ball · can · shower · land

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — ground
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — rain
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — to be able to
  10. drill — a practice
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — boats
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — to wash

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