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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. race — a contest
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rule — government
  24. hand — part of the body

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