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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a list
  16. march — music
  17. land — a country
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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