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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. game — a match
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — low music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. craft — a skill

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