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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. shower — to wash
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — happening now
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. toast — bread

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