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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. squash — to crush
  4. race — humankind
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bound — certain
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. race — the arms race
  21. swing — to play on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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