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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — a trail
  4. craft — a skill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a list
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — in control
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — a price
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. roll — on a roll

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