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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spell — letters
  9. wax — to grow
  10. craft — boats
  11. spell — magic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — an injury

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