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: kid · bound · shower · game · sharp · press · race · field

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — newspapers
  3. race — the arms race
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — child
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. kid — to tease
  11. shower — to wash
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — tied together
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. field — a subject
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. field — farmland
  21. game — a match
  22. race — humankind
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — for sport

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