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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — a contest
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — in sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — boats
  22. march — music
  23. track — a path
  24. net — after costs

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