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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — child
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cap — a hat

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