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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a skill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — in sport
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. net — after costs
  21. wind — moving air
  22. present — the time now
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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