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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. race — humankind
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — a phone
  6. swing — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chest — a box
  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