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: craft · capital · board · kid · kick · leaves · content · saw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — happy
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a skill
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. craft — boats
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. capital — a city
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — in football
  24. leaves — to go away

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