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 · rest · firm · staff · net · craft · hand · game

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — wild animals
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — a break
  24. race — the arms race

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