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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a skill
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — government
  12. fine — all right
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. nail — for a hammer

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