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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — a practice
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. craft — boats
  23. clip — for paper
  24. calf — a young animal

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