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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — a series
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. last — finally
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — to go on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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