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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — a committee
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. key — the most important part
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — a contest
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — farmland
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — a trail

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