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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — boats
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. jam — a tight spot

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