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: swing · pitch · straw · toast · ball · trunk · hand · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — boats
  6. swing — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitch — completely
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ball — a great time

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