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: craft · pit · safe · press · rash · band · fall · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fall — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rash — a series
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. band — a music group
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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