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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — a lid
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — the arms race
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fall — to drop

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