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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a path
  6. fine — all right
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — boats

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