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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — the time now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — a skill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — clever
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — a gift
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — there
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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