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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a great time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. race — a contest
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — a country
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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