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: present · sharp · craft · bore · fine · spring · shower · spell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — there
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. shower — to wash
  6. present — the time now
  7. spring — the season
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. present — a gift
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spring — of water
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — rain
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — clever

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