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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. last — to go on
  12. present — the time now
  13. firm — decided
  14. cell — in biology
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — a phone
  18. last — final
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. firm — a company

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