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 · tube · rock · hide · degree · bear · hand · land

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. hand — help
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — a container
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. degree — from a university
  11. land — to come down
  12. degree — an amount
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — in cards
  21. degree — temperature
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — to move gently

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