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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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