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: face · mark · kick · race · pitch · date · craft · fan

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — boats
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — the fruit
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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