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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pop — music

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