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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — boats
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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