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: bat · season · saw · lie · board · track · mug · race

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. track — a song
  9. race — humankind
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — the animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — a path
  23. season — of the year
  24. race — the arms race

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