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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — humankind
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — there
  19. pop — soda
  20. march — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. race — a contest

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