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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — to bend
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — moving air
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — a contest
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rock — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — a video
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. race — humankind
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lean — thin

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