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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — bread
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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