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: mine · dip · can · craft · toast · wound · wind · lean

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. craft — a skill
  9. toast — bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wound — an injury

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