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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — to go on
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — a contest
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — in a race
  16. last — final
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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