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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · rest · craft · plane · mug · tear

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wind — moving air
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — a cup
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rest — a break
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. craft — a skill

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