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: spring · saw · bass · craft · board · last · fork · tube

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tube — a container
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. board — a committee
  12. spring — the season
  13. last — final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — boats
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — the underground

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