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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. scale — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. scale — size or range
  18. present — there
  19. dip — to sink
  20. present — the time now
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. bark — of a tree

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