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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. field — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — a contest
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — to recline
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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