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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. press — to push
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — a contest
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. net — for catching
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — a tool

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