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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — a law
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — a song
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — the arms race
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — humankind
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a path
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — music
  19. race — a contest
  20. present — there
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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