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 124 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. race — the arms race
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. court — of law
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — a law
  16. press — to push
  17. stand — to bear
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — humankind
  20. last — final
  21. rule — government
  22. bass — low music
  23. court — of a king
  24. last — to go on

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