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: patient · last · kid · toast · sharp · fan · craft · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. last — to go on
  9. toast — bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. last — final
  24. craft — a handicraft

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