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: swing · race · hide · charge · game · cap · mate · last

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — of ice
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — a partner
  13. last — final
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — to play on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — electricity
  19. game — a match
  20. last — finally
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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