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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bound — certain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stem — a stem cell

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