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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — a video
  4. march — the month
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — to rip
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tear — from crying
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — a safe
  17. board — a committee
  18. cell — a phone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. clip — to cut
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. march — music
  24. bound — certain

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