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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. craft — boats
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. craft — a skill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. face — to confront
  20. tear — from crying
  21. season — in sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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