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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. current — happening now
  5. craft — boats
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. current — electric
  12. club — a group
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. race — humankind
  16. capital — a city
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. race — the arms race
  20. club — for golf
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. file — a tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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