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 · last · calf · ruler · craft · kick · cold · hand

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — boats
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. last — final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cold — not warm
  12. race — humankind
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. last — finally
  15. cold — an illness
  16. kick — in football
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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