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

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — the amount
  6. clip — a video
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — happy
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — to be able to
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. clip — for paper
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. race — the arms race

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