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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. race — the arms race
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rash — a series
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. capital — money
  24. season — of the year

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