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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — a song
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — humankind
  6. track — a path
  7. row — to paddle
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — a break
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — to keep track
  23. race — a contest
  24. row — a line

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