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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — humankind
  3. land — ground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — the arms race
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — a contest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — out of danger

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