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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — the sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. band — a ring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — boats
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a music group
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. date — the fruit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. saw — the tool

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