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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spring — of water
  7. rock — music
  8. land — ground
  9. race — humankind
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — a price
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. land — to come down
  21. race — a contest
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — a country
  24. charge — in control

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