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: prune · craft · snap · chair · leaves · field · kid · temple

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — a leader
  12. snap — to click
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. field — a subject
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — a skill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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