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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. race — the arms race
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — to protest
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to click
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — employees
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. object — an aim

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