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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. race — humankind
  7. bound — certain
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mine — for digging
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mine — an explosive

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