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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. race — a contest
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — the arms race
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — a skill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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