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: content · swing · wind · craft · pit · plane · rule · cell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. swing — music
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — the amount
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — in golf

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