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: craft · tube · net · season · lie · sharp · capital · charge

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — in sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — boats
  9. sharp — clever
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. net — for catching
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. net — after costs
  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