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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. face — part of the head
  3. race — humankind
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to point toward
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to confront
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — the arms race
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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