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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. track — to keep track
  3. race — a contest
  4. swing — to play on
  5. file — a tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. file — a document
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — a path
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — for tennis

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