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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. field — a subject
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. field — farmland
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — for sport
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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