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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — a contest
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kid — to tease
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. kid — child
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bat — the animal
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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