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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — goods
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. race — a contest
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — humankind

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