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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — certain
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — help
  24. race — humankind

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