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 · pitcher · craft · cold · bay · stick · lean · nail

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lean — to bend
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cold — an illness
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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