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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. object — an aim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a skill
  11. firm — decided
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — a thing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. firm — a company

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