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: cell · game · craft · pound · chest · deal · prune · snap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. craft — a skill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to click
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cell — in biology
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — wild animals

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