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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — all right
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — the month
  18. land — ground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. march — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. march — the month

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