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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. net — for catching
  8. race — humankind
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — in sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — after costs
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. land — to come down
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — a thing

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