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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — crushed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. present — there
  23. ground — the earth
  24. face — to confront

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