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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. capital — a city
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — finally
  14. spring — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — humankind
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stand — to bear

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