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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. race — humankind
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bound — certain
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — a phone
  16. race — a contest
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cell — in biology
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spring — of water

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