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 120 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: staff · drill · craft · tear · wake · safe · deal · net

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. craft — boats
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — a trail
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. deal — to handle
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — a stick
  20. drill — a practice
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — employees
  23. safe — out of danger
  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