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 120 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: hand · mine · staff · current · craft · lash · march · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — of water
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — boats
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. march — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — low music

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