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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — thin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — boats
  24. bear — the 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