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: toast · foot · prune · rock · fall · bore · craft · cell

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. craft — boats
  9. cell — a phone
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. toast — bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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