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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. game — a match
  3. chair — a leader
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spring — of water
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a partner
  22. clip — a video
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spring — a coil

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