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: net · deal · craft · lie · mug · straw · cue · hide

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — boats

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