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: wave · squash · craft · arm · foot · date · bat · mine

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bat — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — a skill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. date — the fruit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. craft — boats

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