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: bat · toast · patient · arm · shower · craft · saw · stem

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — boats
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bat — the animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — bread
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. shower — rain
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — of a plant

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