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: mine · bulb · game · chest · plane · rest · craft · race

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — a break
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. craft — boats
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. race — humankind
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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