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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. race — humankind
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cold — not warm
  10. swing — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — an illness

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