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: firm · season · stand · craft · straw · last · cap · rash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — final
  3. firm — steady
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. firm — a company
  8. cap — a lid
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rash — hasty
  15. firm — decided
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — a series
  18. last — finally
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. season — to add flavour

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