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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. bat — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. race — humankind
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — a company
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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