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: track · pass · craft · scale · content · patient · perch · pitcher

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — the fish
  5. content — happy
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — a song
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — the amount
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. perch — for a bird

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