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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a music group
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — a trail
  11. race — humankind
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — in cards

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