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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — humankind
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. land — a country
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — all right

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