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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — the earth
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — not warm
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — a position
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. mug — a face
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ground — crushed
  19. race — a contest
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hand — help
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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