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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · race · kid · vault · mate · ground

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kid — child
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mate — a friend
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — to breed
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — humankind
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — the earth

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