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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spring — the season
  3. race — the arms race
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for dancing
  13. race — humankind
  14. spring — of water
  15. march — the month
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — a group
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — a contest
  24. leaves — of a tree

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