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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — of a word
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cold — not warm
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. board — a committee
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — what's left
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — a break
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. row — a line
  24. root — of a plant

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