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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. race — a contest
  4. last — to go on
  5. chest — a box
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. last — final
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — finally
  16. race — humankind
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a dance

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