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 120 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: deal · perch · wound · pop · fine · row · leaves · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — all right
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. craft — boats

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