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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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 skill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — hasty
  5. clip — for paper
  6. spell — magic
  7. clip — a video
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rash — a series
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — in football
  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