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: club · racket · stand · mate · capital · bark · rule · race

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — money
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rule — a law
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — to shout
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a city
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — humankind
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. racket — a loud noise

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