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: drill · cap · race · mate · saw · stem · bay · patient

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — a hat

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