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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — magic
  3. land — to come down
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. race — a contest
  14. toast — bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — a country

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