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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. face — to point toward
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — wild animals
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. face — to confront
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — the fruit
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — completely
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a round shape

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