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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. net — after costs
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wax — to grow
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — music
  11. roll — a list
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. roll — a cake
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — the month
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — a contest

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