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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — a law
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. court — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. race — humankind
  17. bore — to tire
  18. race — a contest
  19. rule — government
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. court — of law
  24. row — a line

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