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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. row — a line
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. race — a contest
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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