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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — the arms race
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — humankind
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — thin

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