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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — there
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — thin
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. present — a gift
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — a contest
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for golf
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — a container
  24. wind — to turn a key

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