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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. race — humankind
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — the month
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. march — music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. tear — from crying
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — for catching
  24. march — the month

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