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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — a company
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — steady
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. snap — to click
  21. cue — for pool
  22. firm — decided
  23. prune — to trim
  24. patient — a sick person

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