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 · wound · jam · track · stand · face · cell · pop

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. face — to confront
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a path
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — soda
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. race — a contest

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