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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. drill — army training
  4. race — a contest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — humankind
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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