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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — magic
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tear — to rip
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lean — thin
  24. clip — a video

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