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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — the arms race
  5. suit — in cards
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wind — moving air
  9. field — for sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. field — farmland
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — to fit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. chest — a box
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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