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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — the arms race
  3. face — to confront
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. race — humankind
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to point toward

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