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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — a contest
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. race — humankind
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — a path
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fork — in a road
  16. track — to keep track
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a song
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — a stem cell

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