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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. race — humankind
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — the arms race
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to click
  24. swing — in golf

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