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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rest — a break
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — a country
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — a contest
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — to come down
  14. squash — to crush
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chest — a box
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the sport

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