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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — boats
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mate — a friend
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — for a hammer

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