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: stick · craft · scale · straw · face · temple · wave · present

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. face — to point toward
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — the time now
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — there
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to confront
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — part of the head
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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