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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wind — moving air
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a football final

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