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: cap · bear · craft · race · kick · clip · field · cabinet

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cap — of ice
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. field — farmland
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — a thrill

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