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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a hat
  11. race — humankind
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — of ice
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ground — a position
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — in music
  21. race — a contest
  22. plane — a tool
  23. game — a match
  24. key — for a lock

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