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 · mate · rock · tear · mouse · fan · present · pound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. race — a contest
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — to breed
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. present — a gift
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mate — a partner
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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