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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a match
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a hint
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. game — wild animals
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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