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: scale · present · mate · mine · race · bore · march · stick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bore — to drill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — the time now
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. march — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. present — there
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. present — a gift
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — gave birth

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