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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. object — to protest
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — the time now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — there
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — a gift
  17. tear — from crying
  18. last — to go on
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — a company
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. calf — a young animal

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