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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stock — goods
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — shares
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kick — in football
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — a soup base

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