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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — a division
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cold — an illness
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. net — for catching
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — boats

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