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: race · bore · wound · rush · trunk · scale · mark · game

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. scale — in music
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — a contest
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. race — humankind
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — size or range
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. scale — for weighing

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