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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — a practice
  7. face — part of the head
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. race — the arms race
  11. march — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — army training
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — electricity
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — humankind

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