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: land · craft · plane · net · racket · scale · bound · content

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. land — ground
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — in sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. net — after costs
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. land — to come down
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — a country
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — for catching
  24. craft — a handicraft

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