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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — a contest
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — to breed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — for sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — humankind
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to point toward

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