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 120 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. race — a contest
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a committee
  5. race — humankind
  6. land — to come down
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kid — to tease
  12. board — to get on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. land — a country
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fall — the season
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — for measuring

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