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: cue · present · craft · wave · bear · wind · hand · arm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — help
  5. present — a gift
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cue — a signal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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