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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. race — humankind
  3. object — to protest
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. object — a thing
  12. race — a contest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spell — a short time
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — a country

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