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 120 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: bay · snap · nail · mate · craft · chair · wound · fan

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to click
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. craft — boats
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. chair — a professorship

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