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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · craft · race · degree · lash · toast

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — electric
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — an amount
  10. race — a contest
  11. degree — temperature
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — of water
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. toast — bread

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