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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — for digging
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bound — certain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — a trail
  12. race — a contest
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bound — tied together
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — the arms race

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