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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — a path
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — to play on
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — bread
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. race — a contest
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. track — to keep track
  18. content — happy
  19. track — a song
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. band — a ring

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