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: tube · cell · pitch · shower · craft · hand · face · stick

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cell — a phone
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — help
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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