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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — humankind
  3. pop — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — of ice
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — farmland
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pop — soda
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. race — a contest
  19. wound — an injury
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — a lid

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