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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — in football
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — on a finger

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