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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a ring
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — final
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — a contest
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — a thing
  16. last — finally
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. season — of the year
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — the arms race
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. race — humankind

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