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 · rock · cabinet · cap · cell · snap · wound · fan

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — a phone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to click
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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