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: mate · rush · craft · last · stock · straw · object · chair

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stock — shares
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stock — goods
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — boats
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — a skill
  18. last — final
  19. mate — to breed
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chair — to sit on

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