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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — to confront
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. field — farmland
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. field — a subject
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — a contest
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — a group
  24. field — for sport

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