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

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a ring
  9. firm — decided
  10. season — of the year
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — a short time
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rule — government
  21. spell — magic
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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