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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. race — the arms race
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — for golf
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — a group
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — a contest
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — the sport

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