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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — an amount
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — a hat
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a lid
  24. degree — from a university

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