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 · pit · hand · track · pitcher · ball · perch · season

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ball — a great time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — a song
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — a skill
  13. season — of the year
  14. track — to keep track
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — a path

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