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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — to rob
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. row — a line
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — a skill
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mug — a face
  17. bore — to drill
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — a break
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to tire
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bore — gave birth

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