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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — a cup
  3. race — humankind
  4. game — a match
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — a container
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — a song
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. race — a contest
  22. mug — a face
  23. swing — to play on
  24. game — a kind of play

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