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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — steady
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — boats
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — temperature
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — a trail
  23. present — there
  24. tear — to rip

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