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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. firm — decided
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — a company
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. squash — the sport

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