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 116 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 · bat · wake · lean · cabinet · race · pitcher · press

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — boats
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. race — the arms race
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — a contest
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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