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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — to drop
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — thin
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a song
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to bend
  24. band — a ring

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