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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a leader
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — boats
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. dip — a sauce

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