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 116 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: mug · rest · snap · stick · saw · craft · press · mate

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mug — a face
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — to push
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — a break
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

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