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: craft · toast · stick · foot · rock · date · jam · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rock — a stone
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. toast — bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — the arms race
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rock — music
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. date — the fruit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — a tight spot

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