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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. craft — a skill
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — a song
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — help
  23. track — a path
  24. craft — boats

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