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 124 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — a face
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — for digging
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. present — the time now
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — there
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — ground
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a cup
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. plane — in geometry

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