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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — boats
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — humankind
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — the arms race
  19. kick — in football
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — in a 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