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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. key — in music
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — the underground
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. race — humankind
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — a company
  24. prune — to trim

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