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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. race — a contest
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — the arms race
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea

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