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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — in biology
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cell — a phone
  6. field — for sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. race — humankind
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. field — a subject
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — a contest

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