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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — a contest
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — a break
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rule — government

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