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: game · present · craft · bat · lean · staff · lie · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. snap — to click
  6. game — a match
  7. staff — employees
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — to recline
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — a gift
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to rest against

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