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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — to sink
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. capital — a city
  11. mine — for digging
  12. capital — money
  13. stock — goods
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. bay — a horse colour

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