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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pop — soda
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — the arms race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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