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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — there
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bat — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. craft — boats
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. present — a gift
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. present — the time now

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