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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. clip — a video
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — for paper
  7. race — the arms race
  8. land — ground
  9. clip — to cut
  10. race — humankind
  11. stand — to bear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — to fit
  23. march — music
  24. staff — a stick

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