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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fine — all right
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. swing — to play on

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