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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kid — child
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — of a river
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — thin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — hasty

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