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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. row — a line
  3. race — humankind
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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