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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tear — to rip
  4. craft — boats
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — to push
  8. craft — a skill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — letters

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