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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. race — humankind
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. race — a contest
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — belonging to me

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