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 · snap · pitch · bay · drill · bank · cap · mine

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to click
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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