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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — a contest
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. march — the month
  24. court — for sport

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