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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. track — to keep track
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spell — magic
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — boats
  7. field — a subject
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — in control
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — a path
  15. field — farmland
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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