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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. race — a contest
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — size or range
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. race — humankind
  18. pop — soda
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. scale — in music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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