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: race · net · row · chest · capital · scale · saw · date

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. race — the arms race
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — a line
  9. chest — of your body
  10. net — after costs
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. capital — money
  14. race — humankind
  15. net — in sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. scale — size or range
  18. date — the fruit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. race — a contest
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. date — on the calendar

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