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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — music
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — a weight
  12. field — a subject
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — a contest
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. field — farmland
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. field — for sport
  24. rock — a stone

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