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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lean — to bend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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