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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — a break
  9. bat — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bore — to drill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — of a plant

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