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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. race — humankind
  4. last — to go on
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — finally
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — final

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