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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — to fit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. track — to keep track
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — to breed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — thin
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — a skill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. craft — a handicraft

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