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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. race — a contest
  4. wound — an injury
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — humankind
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — a line
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for golf
  24. stem — a stem cell

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