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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — the arms race
  7. game — a match
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pop — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — a contest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. temple — a place of worship

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