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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — high quality
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — boats

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