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: ball · craft · pop · net · capital · calf · land · bear

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. craft — boats
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. land — ground
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — money
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a city

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