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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — newspapers
  13. race — humankind
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — a publisher
  21. race — a contest
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stock — goods
  24. drill — army training

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