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

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rock — a stone
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. swing — to play on
  9. drill — a practice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. chest — of your body
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. swing — in golf
  20. firm — a company
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — boats

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