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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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 — humankind
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — in golf
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. race — a contest
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. race — the arms race
  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