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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — a line
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mine — for digging
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — a price
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — in control
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. swing — music
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bark — to shout

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