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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. clip — a video
  12. roll — a cake
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mug — a face
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — to rob

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