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 116 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 · land · wound · cap · bass · key · deal · field

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. race — humankind
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. field — farmland
  12. bass — low music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — to come down
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — a country
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. key — the most important part

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