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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — a phone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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