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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — a match
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — obliged
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — the underground
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — to get on
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. race — humankind
  24. patient — a sick person

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