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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. race — the arms race
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. march — music
  18. race — a contest

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