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: craft · lie · wound · hide · clip · wave · chair · season

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — of the year
  3. craft — a skill
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. clip — a video
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wound — an injury

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