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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pop — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — government
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. game — a match
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — a kind of play

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