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 116 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: firm · spell · craft · field · leaves · row · can · file

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — a skill
  3. firm — decided
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — a subject
  8. file — a line of people
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — boats
  11. row — a line
  12. firm — steady
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — farmland
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. file — a document

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