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: craft · lie · chair · rule · nail · object · foot · cold

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — an illness
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — an untruth

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