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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — a skill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — a contest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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