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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in biology
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. present — there
  20. craft — boats
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — a gift
  24. game — a match

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