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: kid · track · craft · board · lean · hand · field · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. kid — child
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — in cards
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. kid — to tease
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. race — humankind
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — help
  18. race — a contest
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — a subject
  24. lean — to bend

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