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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ground — a position
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — army training
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. firm — decided
  12. march — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. ground — the earth
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. race — the arms race
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — bread
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — humankind
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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