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: craft · club · last · season · fall · mouse

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — of the year
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. last — final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. last — finally
  18. season — in sport

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