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: craft · chair · cold · ball · track · row · lash · bay

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cold — an illness
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a great time
  19. craft — boats
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. row — a line
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — a professorship

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