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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — letters
  11. date — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fall — to drop

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