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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kid — child
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — electricity
  7. race — humankind
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. race — a contest
  16. face — part of the head
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wake — a trail
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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