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: lie · current · bat · cabinet · ball · file · drill · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a document
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a round shape

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