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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — a partner
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — boats
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — finally
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mate — a friend
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — a break
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. cell — in biology
  24. last — final

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