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: cold · spring · game · mate · craft · wind · suit · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wind — moving air
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — a match
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — to fit

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