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: date · season · arm · drill · leaves · chair · nail · craft

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — a leader
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. craft — boats
  23. drill — a practice
  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