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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — a contest
  11. scale — size or range
  12. root — of a word
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — to play on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hand — part of the body

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