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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — ground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — wild animals
  24. deal — to handle

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