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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — there
  3. tear — to rip
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — in music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tear — from crying
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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