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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — thin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — to bend
  24. dip — to sink

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