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: board · deal · kick · game · pass · mine · last · race

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. game — a match
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. race — a contest
  7. last — finally
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. board — to get on
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. last — to go on
  24. mine — for digging

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