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 120 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: cap · drill · leaves · tear · hand · can · trunk · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. craft — boats
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tear — to rip
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — army training
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hand — help

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