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: deal · craft · bound · nail · stick · chair · lash · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — certain
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — a big deal

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