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: date · ground · craft · row · mine · suit · shower · game

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a line
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — rain
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — a match
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — to paddle
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — the earth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ground — crushed
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — belonging to me

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