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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — steady
  10. race — a contest
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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