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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — to paddle
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — a line
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — of a word
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. race — a contest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — government
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — a division
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — to rule out

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