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: key · straw · stand · dip · race · pitch · track · date

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. date — the fruit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. track — a song
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a path
  24. pitch — completely

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