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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. file — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pop — soda
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. race — a contest
  21. file — a document
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — before a funeral

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