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: lash · roll · net · press · race · mouse · wound · craft

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. craft — boats
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. net — in sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. craft — a skill
  16. net — for catching
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. race — the arms race
  21. press — newspapers
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. net — after costs

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