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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — to go on
  3. firm — steady
  4. last — final
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hand — help
  21. race — humankind
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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