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: tube · hand · season · craft · cap · ground · race · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tube — a container
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — boats
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — humankind
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hand — help
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ground — a position
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — in sport

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