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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — a country
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — boats
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — a skill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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