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: squash · branch · tear · wake · craft · cue · fan · kid

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. branch — a division
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — boats
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — for pool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kid — to tease
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fan — a supporter

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