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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — a contest
  3. row — to paddle
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. face — part of the head
  8. object — a thing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. face — to point toward
  19. race — the arms race
  20. face — to confront
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — to protest

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