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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. content — the amount
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — thin
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lean — to bend
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. content — happy
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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