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 · perch · rash · chest · bound · cabinet · net · clip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. chest — of your body
  6. perch — the fish
  7. clip — a video
  8. bound — obliged
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. cabinet — ministers

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