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: face · coach · cue · bound · fall · race · tear · mate

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fall — the season
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — to point toward
  21. race — a contest
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bound — certain
  24. tear — to rip

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