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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — boats
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — a skill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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