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: rash · cap · face · straw · stand · ruler · bound · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — hasty
  8. race — a contest
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — a hat
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to point toward
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — of ice

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