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 120 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: club · can · safe · race · mine · march · squash · coach

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. march — the month
  4. club — a group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — humankind
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. march — the month
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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