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: face · race · rush · spell · scale · patient · stand · bat

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. spell — magic
  5. race — a contest
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — a short time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — in an idiom

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