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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. row — to paddle
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — a line
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — to bend
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rule — government

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