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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — the arms race
  4. game — a match
  5. race — a contest
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — a partner
  10. game — wild animals
  11. net — after costs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — in music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — in 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