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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — of law

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