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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — child
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — a practice
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — boats
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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