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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — a container
  3. race — the arms race
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rest — what's left
  8. roll — a cake
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. race — a contest
  13. clip — a video
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — humankind
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rest — a break
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pass — a permit

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