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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. present — there
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — a gift
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. race — humankind
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a document
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — on a finger

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