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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — a grade
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — in football
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — to point toward

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