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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — to protest
  4. root — the cause
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cap — a lid
  12. object — an aim
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. object — a thing
  20. cap — of ice
  21. race — a contest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — music

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