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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. craft — boats
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. lean — to bend
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — there
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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