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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — an aim
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — a song
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bank — of a river
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. object — a thing
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. object — to protest
  22. squash — to crush
  23. race — a contest
  24. sharp — with an edge

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