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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. fork — in a road
  7. band — a music group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — there
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. band — a ring

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