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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rule — government
  3. spring — the season
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spring — of water
  16. bass — low music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — a law
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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