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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. band — a music group
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — a phone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. band — a ring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — humankind
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — to trim

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