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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — humankind
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spring — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — certain
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chest — of your body
  16. scale — in music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — size or range
  19. race — a contest
  20. spring — the season
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — clothes

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