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: mouse · date · rash · hand · fine · craft · tube · key

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. key — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — a series
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — help
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a skill
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — the most important part

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