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: kid · patient · object · race · face · board · tube · last

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. object — an aim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. object — to protest
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — finally
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to point toward
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — final
  17. race — humankind
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — child
  20. object — a thing
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. face — to confront
  23. last — to go on
  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