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: track · bear · ground · march · race · mate · file · vault

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. race — humankind
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — the earth
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. race — the arms race
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. race — a contest
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — music

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