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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — electric
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — boats
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — goods
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stock — shares
  16. row — a line
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mug — to rob
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a cup

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