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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — to come from
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — a contest
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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