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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — child
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. mine — for digging

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