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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — humankind
  4. sharp — clever
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. march — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — a contest
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rash — hasty
  20. race — the arms race
  21. row — to paddle
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a great time

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