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: drill · race · ground · date · bowl · mouse · coach · cue

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. cue — a signal
  4. race — a contest
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ground — a position
  23. drill — army training
  24. mouse — the animal

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