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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. land — a country
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — to crush
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. land — to come down
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — a song
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — a series
  24. race — humankind

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