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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rash — a series
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — to tease
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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