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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. object — an aim
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — to visit
  7. present — the time now
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. shower — to wash
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — there
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chest — a box
  17. shower — rain
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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