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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spring — the season

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