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: race · key · ground · march · craft · hand · deal · shower

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hand — in cards
  11. shower — rain
  12. race — a contest
  13. march — music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — help
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. race — humankind
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — the month
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — a position

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