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: spring · lie · hand · craft · ball · rest · cell · racket

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — boats
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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