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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — in sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — the arms race
  5. march — music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hand — in cards
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. race — humankind
  11. track — a song
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — help
  22. race — a contest
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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