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: swing · foot · craft · tube · jam · kid · land · mug

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. tube — a container
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — boats
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mug — to rob
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. tube — the underground
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — child
  24. foot — a measure

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