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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. clip — a video
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fine — all right
  18. clip — for paper
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chest — a box
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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