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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. race — a contest
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — in music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — the month
  22. toast — bread
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — a trainer

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