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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a line
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — in control
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wind — moving air

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