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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — to push
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — humankind
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — to paddle
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tear — to rip
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. race — a contest
  23. row — a line
  24. tear — from crying

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