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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — final
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. race — the arms race
  5. last — finally
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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