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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. net — in sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — to lash out

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