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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — to visit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — soda
  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