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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. race — the arms race
  6. band — a music group
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — of the year
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — to be able to
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. content — happy

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