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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. track — a path
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — to shout
  6. race — the arms race
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — for tennis
  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