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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cell — in biology
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. squash — the sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. race — a contest
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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