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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. cap — of ice
  15. object — an aim
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. race — humankind

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