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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a professorship

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