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: rest · race · chest · cell · craft · field · can · bank

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chest — a box
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — a break
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — a phone
  16. field — a subject
  17. can — to be able to
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — a skill

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