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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — ground
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — to come down
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — humankind
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a lid
  13. land — a country
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — in control
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. race — a contest
  24. firm — a company

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