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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. snap — to click
  4. present — a gift
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — there
  22. club — a group
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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