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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — help
  6. race — the arms race
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — final

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