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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — a country
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — to come down
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — to recline

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