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 · staff · pitcher · craft · kick · lie · bank · bat

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bat — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

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