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 · press · safe · rash · wound · key · season · stand

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. press — to push
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — of the year
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — in music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — to bear
  14. press — newspapers
  15. season — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — for a lock

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