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 116 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: bear · mug · hand · bank · craft · capital · kick · cell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mug — a face
  7. capital — money
  8. craft — boats
  9. hand — in cards
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bear — the animal

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