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: race · craft · lean · game · drill · mine · board · pop

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — army training
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mine — for digging
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — humankind
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — to get on
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. race — a contest
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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