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: plane · craft · snap · wave · sharp · wound · rest · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — a break
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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