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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — decided
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. firm — a company
  7. bat — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. wind — moving air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. current — happening now
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. current — of water
  14. file — a document
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wind — to turn a key

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