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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chest — a box
  20. kid — child
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — all right
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — to add flavour

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