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: mug · dip · rash · craft · wound · rule · pitcher · fork

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — a law
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — to rob
  11. dip — to sink
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rule — government
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mug — a cup
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — an injury

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