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: ruler · last · staff · field · prune · mug · cap · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — finally
  4. cap — of ice
  5. last — final
  6. cap — a hat
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — a subject
  11. last — to go on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — employees
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — boats
  24. field — farmland

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