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: saw · craft · club · land · bay · tear · wound · board

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. land — ground
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — a country
  8. club — for golf
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — boats
  21. club — a group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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