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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — a cake
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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