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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wound — an injury
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — army training
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — humankind
  23. drill — a practice
  24. race — a contest

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