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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — the arms race
  5. march — the month
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ground — a position
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — of ice
  16. march — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. race — humankind
  24. bowl — to roll

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