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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. toast — bread
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. clip — to cut
  17. race — humankind
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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