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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. last — final
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — there
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — a skill
  24. prune — to trim

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