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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rock — music
  7. race — humankind
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. last — finally
  11. race — a contest
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — a match
  14. last — to go on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  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