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

Word bank: vault · mate · rash · march · race · ball · patient · land

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. march — the month
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — a series
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mate — a partner
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — to breed
  14. land — a country
  15. march — the month
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — to come down

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