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: bulb · pass · craft · band · mine · race · pitcher · key

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mine — for digging
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — in music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. race — humankind
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. craft — a skill

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