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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — ground
  6. last — to go on
  7. land — a country
  8. race — humankind
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mate — to breed
  12. last — finally
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — to come down
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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