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 120 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: bat · tube · cue · ball · last · nail · perch · craft

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. last — finally
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. last — final
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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