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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — for golf
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — the season
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. current — happening now
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. club — for dancing
  19. current — electric
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spring — of water

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