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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — to grow
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — a contest
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. kid — child
  18. cap — of ice
  19. race — the arms race
  20. last — final
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — for sculpting

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