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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — a contest
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bat — the animal
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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