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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chair — a leader
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — a contest
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pound — a weight

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