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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bound — tied together
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bound — certain
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — for pool
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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