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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — shares
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. last — final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. last — to go on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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